Smith’s Collection of Ancient Poems appeared in 1780, subjoined to the Dissertations on Gaelic Antiquities. These poems were translations, it was declared, “from the Gaelic of Ossian, Ullin, Orran, and others;” and in 1787 he published the originals of these poems, the number being fourteen. Their titles are: The Lay of the Red; The Death of Gaul; The Lay of Duhona; Diarmid; Clan-Morni, or Finan and Lorma, from which following lines are taken to show the character of the verse and mode of thought:—
CAOIDH MHUIRNE AIRSON A CHLAINNE.
Och! ’s truaigh mi féin a chlann,
’N ’ur déigh gu fann aosmhor;
Mar dharaig sheargte mi air aonach,
Ris nach pill gu bràth a caoinchruth.
Tha’n dùlach dorcha anns a’ ghleann,
’S gach crann air raoin gun duilleach;
Ach pillidh ’sa’ cheitein am maise,
Ged nach faicear mo sgèimh-sa tuille.